From: Fastest Way To Lose Weight Guide
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Microalgae Oil Microalgal oil is one of the most interesting, and healthy, natural products that has grown to gain recent attention. High in omega-3 fats, all natural, and with many benefits outside of nutrition alone, it should come as little surprise that this fat supplement's omega-3 market share has been increasing quickly.
Source of Algal Oil As the name implies, these fats are taken from from extraordinarily miniscule alga cells. You may have heard of these small algae referred to as "Microphytes" or even just seaweed. There are many different species and each have slightly different benefits.
Algae can, certainly, be discovered to be occurring naturally in the wild, but a safer, more cost-effective, and less potentially environmentally damaging way of procuring microphytes is by farming it on purpose, in large, clean indoor ponds through a process called algaculture or algalculture . As an organism, microalgae has a few basic essentials needed for it to grow and thrive: namely carbon dioxide (co2), light, water, and some basic minerals. Just as some organisms do better in certain climates than others, the water in which microalgae is being farmed must be kept to a specific range of temperatures to encourage growth and keep the algae from dying off rapidly.
As long as the right conditions are present, the algae will grow wonderfully, setting the stage for microalgae harvesting and, soon enough, oil extraction.
How Is Microalgae, As A Crop, Gathered? From the algaculture tanks, the microalgae is harvested any number of ways, such as with extraordinarily fine screens, centrifuge, and other processes. Once gathered, the oil can be extracted either by crushing the algal cells or using chemical solvents to extract the fats.
Health Benefits of Microalgae Oil Once removed from the organisms themselves, microalgae oil is bottled and sold, and one of its most popular uses is for its health benefits from omega-3. It's important for people who enjoy the brain-related and heart-healthy benefits of fish oil but are looking for an alternative to fish oil. Fish oil can come with high mercury levels and trace toxins from pollution of fish stocks, while microalgae oil is grown in a clean environment. In addition, fish oil is an animal product, which can be a problem for vegetarians.
Specific health-promoting properties and benefits are from micro-algae oil's high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been reported in popular media to be associated with all of the following: * Preventing cardiovascular disease * Improving immune health * Cognitive performance / brain health * Reducing and preventing inflammation
Other Uses of Microalgal Oil Interestingly enough, microalgae oil was not cultivated for its health uses originally. Although many species of microphytes can be (and are) used in food, algaculture began originally as a way to harvest alga cells for other purposes.
One of the main uses of algae oil, besides health, is as a source of biofuel. As fuel, microalgae oil is far more productive by mass and effective than other bio-fuel sources, with very friendly emissions. However, due to its costs, microalgal oil is currently better suited to use in smaller quantities (such as for health supplement) than in large ones (as a source of energyfor automobiles).
For more information about Dr. Scott Doughman see Algae Oil as a Vegan Source of Omega 3